The Absence of Heart
by Abandoned Dream
Summary: Riku’s now a policewoman who gets assigned to capture Dark. Earnest for vengeance, she’s anxious to teach him a lesson of justice. In a bitter twist of fate, the thief actually teaches her a lesson: of what doesn’t reach the eye & lies within the heart.
1. Prologue

The Absence of Heart  
Prologue

This is a Dark/Riku-  
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What is love?

Many philosophers have tried to find the answer, but none agree to what the word actually means. It is one of those things that you can't study from reading a book, yet it is one of those life lessons that mean the most. Some people believe that it's when a person finds another who makes them feel happy about themselves. Perhaps this is what they mean when they say love is selfish. But most believe that it is something that cannot be ignored.

However, I believe that the word "love" is a petty excuse for what it is trying to define. One word cannot describe the myriad of emotions that run through the human heart. Let me try and make it simple for you- love is a word trying to say all the things that words cannot.

How could I define what love really means to you without degrading its value? I will do my best to explain.

I believe that it is a mixture of all of the emotions, twisted together in a bottomless enigma. It's a limitless to being happy, a multitude of emotions that rage inside the heart that blinds the mind so easily. Yes, it causes pain. In a way, that's what makes it so beautiful.

It's like trying to explain to a blind person the color of blue. It's beautiful but they cannot begin to imagine. Love is when you find that person who you would die for, because it's them that make your life worth living. It's not that person who will catch you when you fall; it's the person who would have made sure you wouldn't have fallen at all. It's when you're willing to give someone your heart, even if theirs is never yours to have.

Perhaps you are confused, because I am not good at this type of thing. Honestly I don't understand it at all either… but I have no regrets. I have felt something like love before, and if it isn't, then hell, screw love... because this feeling is something that most people will never experience in their entire lifetime.

Riku Harada


	2. The Phantom

Chapter One The Phantom  
The Absence of Heart

The room was dark and dreary. A young woman of 24 sat at a disorderly desk, reading in thoroughly at an article, only to throw it aside in rejection. Her eyes were trying to find something, anything that would help her. Papers overflowed off her desk onto the unkempt floor below, but she had passed the thought of even caring.

Riku Harada had always been a beautiful, dutiful young lady, who exceeded in her performance as Commander of the Police Force. Her mind was sharp, her physical body well toned, and had an impenetrable determination and stubbornness that served her well. However, most people would have to agree that there was something very wrong with Riku Harada.

There would be times that sounds of crying would be heard from her office, but she would always deny any accusations. She had to keep her emotions in check, but as much as her mouth could lie to any being, her heart would never lie to herself. Some say she is fearless. Those who say that are ignorant liars.

The brave Riku did have a fear… although she'd rather shoot herself than admit it. People would never know it, but it was breaking her, slowly but surely. It had been for a very long time.

Riku Harada was so desperately afraid of being alone.

x

Turn .o1

x

"Riku?"

Riku Harada's head shot up from the desk. Instantly awake, she practically jumped and stood, knocking several papers to the floor. Ignoring them, she hastily saluted Inspector Saehara. "Yes sir?"

Inspector Saehara had aged over the years, but The Washington Post and the Spanish Inquirer would never get him to admit it. His once jet black hair was turning a frosty white, his skin began to shrivel in a mass of wrinkles. But his mind refused to bend and break, which was his greatest asset, unlike his overconfident temper.

"I think you should take a break," he said, eyeing the raging war of papers that flew off her desk. "You've been working for several hours now."

"No sir, I'm feeling quite alright. I'm not tired at all really," she lied. Before he could protest, she quickly added, "Any news on the Phantom Thief?"

He looked at her doubtfully. "He's coming at eleven. Are you sure you're up to investigate?"

"Yes sir, I'll be there right away."

He nodded uncertainly, and then he turned to leave. He was worried about his greatest officer, but if he asked her about her well-being, he knew she would be quick to deny it. Many people wondered what would break Riku Harada in the end. Perhaps she was already broken, and needed someone to fix her. But who would that person be, he wondered.

"Inspector?" she asked before he left.

He stopped, and glanced at her questioningly. The hope on his face quickly dampened with her next response.

"Don't worry about me," she smiled convincingly. Too bad she couldn't fool him.

He nodded sadly. She watched his retreating form disappear, and only then did she sigh sit back down at her desk. She glanced at one of the articles that were accompanied by a picture of the Phantom Thief.

She glared disgustingly at the picture. This was the first the world had heard from him in a long time. He had vanished without a trace 10 years ago. And with him, he took her sister- Risa Harada.

x

Turn .o2

x

"Dark is here, Dark is here!" a voice shouted from outside the museum.

Riku and several men stood around the Lunar Eclipse, a priceless jewel the city had treasured for a long time. It was heavily lighted, giving it an ethereal look of heaven. Perhaps this was a remedy to the mistake the police had made many years earlier. They usually used stealth to take a criminal down, but Riku knew that in the darkness the phantom thief prevailed.

She had 3 men who stood by the electrical system, 2 men for every window, door, vents - any escape she could possibly think of. She also allowed no reporters outside the museum. They were just a distraction, and they were too nosy for their own good; not to mention, foolish liars.

Then, she had a dozen men looking at the Lunar eclipse straight in the eye. Flawless. Or so she thought.

"Commander, I have to go to the bathroom," whispered one of her officers.

"Save it, Vahn," she hissed.

"Commander, I _really_ have to go!" Vahn whined.

Many men groaned around him.

"Vahn, just hold it. Hold your positions." She bit her lip. There was no turning back, and she was not going to risk this moment in time where she could finally confront Dark. Every man would be needed to take the thief down. Nothing could go wrong now. If only she knew how wrong she was.

"Comanderrr" he whined. "If you don't let me go now, I'll have piss all over this floor!"

She turned on him, her eyes cold and icy. "Vahn! Why the hell didn't you go earl-"?

A crash of glass cut her off, and suddenly all the lights went off. Grunts from the north window could be heard, followed by the sound of a thump of a body falling to the floor. Riku and her men stood in the darkness.

"Commander, should I go check on the north window?" an officer to her left whispered.

"No. Hold your positions." She knew better than to check on them. It was highly unlikely that two armed men could take down the Phantom Thief, but how he had entered so quickly and shut off the lights so fast dumbstruck her. The window and the electrical system were on opposite ends of the building. He would have had to be in two places at once.

"Flashlights on!" she ordered. All lights were focused on the piece of art, rendering all of their surroundings in darkness. The Lunar Eclipse was her only priority. This was her first mistake. At this point, everything went wrong.

Her gaze was set tightly upon it, her heart thumping right through her chest. They stood in silence, waiting for the slightest thing to happen. Five minutes. Fifteen. She sighed inaudibly. "Vahn, you can go to the bathroom now, before you get piss all over my floor. Everyone else, hold your positions."

But Vahn didn't answer.

"Vahn?"

She shifted her flashlight around the museum, her eyes filled with terror. Her mind raced to figure out what was going on. And then she saw it- Vahn's body on the floor, unconscious and partially naked. Unfortunately for her, everyone else chanced a sight upon it too.

Flashlights were in a frenzy, looking everywhere for the intruder that had taken the identity of Vahn. She tried to command everyone to focus on the piece of artwork, but no avail. Yells and screams covered her voice, and some officers even attacked each other thinking the other was an intruder. Multiple lights flickered everywhere, and in that moment, she knew she had failed.

By the time her eyes set upon the Lunar Eclipse, it was gone. She glanced quickly back at the window, and was just in time to see a foot go out the broken window of which he came. Bolting after him, she knew she had failed in saving the art from Dark. But it wouldn't save him from her.

x

Turn .o3

x

If she didn't act now, she would lose the hope of catching him ever again, and asking for backup would take too long. She had waited for this moment for too long, and she wasn't about to let him go without a fight.

She climbed out of the window, careful not to let any glass scrape her. The cool night air quickly embraced her gently, sending shivers down her spine. She stood, hesitant and silent, now standing on the roof of the museum. Taking out her gun quickly, she pointed it at anything that moved, but the angel of darkness already had her.

Almost instantly, a muscular arm pinned her back to a solid chest, while the other took the gun and threw it aside. Then it covered her mouth before she had the chance to scream. "Hello," He murmured lightly in her ear.

A brief sensation wracked her body, but she quickly blinked it away. This was not the time of imagining things at a time like this. She glanced around, looking for options, avoiding his words. There wasn't much to see - seeing as she was pinning her from behind - but she could see enough. Her arms were rendered immobile by his one arm that clutched her, but also in the same hand was The Lunar Eclipse. Hope was not lost yet.

He was about to whisper something else in her ear, but she didn't listen. Honed by her many years of police training, she kicked forward, and made contact with his face. He let go of her instantly with a grunt, and she quickly grabbed The Lunar Eclipse from his grasp. Sure she had no weapon now, but she had his prize, the one thing he wanted.

She held it over the edge of the roof, the thousands old jewel in danger of falling 3 stories down. If the reporters were allowed to come to this escapade, they would be in frenzy. "I have what you want!" she shouted.

But what he said next shocked her. "Who said I came for The Lunar Eclipse?"

Her eyes widened. "What do you mean?" A trick? "What do you want?"

In one swift movement, he was in front of her. "I came... to talk to _you_."

She stared at him, open-mouthed, looking into his ruby eyes for deceit. He towered over her, and looked as menacing as they said he looked. His body was clad in simple black clothing, but the clothes only seemed to emphasize his muscular pectorals. Violet hair fell perfectly in his face, blowing in the wind lightly. For a split second, she thought he was the most beautiful creature she had ever laid eyes on.

He took a step closer to her, and she snapped back to her senses and took a step back… now precariously near the edge. She tried to calm her anger, anger at him for kidnapping her sister, angry at her sister for falling in love with him, anger at the world for creating him, and anger at herself for thinking him beautiful…but it exploded. "What? You want to talk to me _now_ after ten years you vanished with MY sister?"

He flinched back, as if pained. But that had to be an illusion. The Phantom Thief didn't care about anyone but himself, that's why he stole art from people. At least that's what Riku's mind told her. But a flickering feeling that curled up in the edge of her brain told her she was wrong.

"You took her, you bastard!" she yelled, and with one fist she attempted to strike him straight in the nose. He recovered instantly, and blocked it with ease.

"Things aren't always what they seem, Riku Harada. I knew you would be here. I wanted to talk to you," he whispered, almost desperate for her to believe him.

"So you can kidnap me too?" she asked angrily. Her fist was still in collision with his hand. She tried to pull back, but he gripped her fist tightly.

He stepped dangerously close to her. "You think I kidnapped her to harm her, but has it ever occurred to you that I had kidnapped her to _protect_ her?"

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "You lie. The only harm that could come to her is from _you._"

He smiled at her. "It's okay, Ms. Harada. Risa is safe. At any rate, I'll be seeing you again." Before she even knew it, he pulled forward and softly placed his lips on hers, a tenderness that she would have never expected from the Legendary Phantom Thief. She stopped breathing.

"_Riku, you're never alone."_

Then he was gone.

It was a good hour before the police could find her standing upon the roof. She stood in silence, touching her lips lightly with her fingers. She would have been angry, but something in her heart told her not to be.

Her rational mind was spinning with vengeance, but something in her irrational heart told her that he had kissed her before…

x

A/N EEP I'm off writer's block! Yay!

Again, I have no idea where this is going. Oh well, I hope you guys like it ; Btw, "What If" is renamed to "What You Wish For"


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